To celebrate Volunteers Week, we’re sharing the stories of some our fabulous supporters who help us to help care leavers achieve their career goals. Thanks to Laura Williams, our young people have CVs that really make them stand out from the crowd. Here are her thoughts on volunteering with us:

“The volunteering opportunities at Drive Forward instantly stood out for me because of the work the charity does. It was easy to see that this was a really valuable organisation that would give me the opportunity to work with interesting people and use my skills and experience to help them reach their full potential.

“I remember how hard it was getting my first job but since then I’ve had a range of different employment and life experiences that I can draw on. My current job also involves interviewing people for various roles, so I can offer pointers about what potential employers might be looking for, what a good CV looks like and successful interview techniques.

“My first time volunteering with Drive Forward was at Job Club [now Careers Workshop] an event which gives the young people an opportunity to work on applications and CVs. It’s a focussed environment to get things done with the support of staff and volunteers. Looking for jobs isn’t easy; I was really impressed that so many young people were there in their spare time and had set impressive goals for themselves. I was also really surprised at the range of opportunities Drive Forward were able to provide for young people – one young person I sat with was applying for a job at the Ritz! Since then, I’ve attended HR Speed Dating sessions to practice interview techniques and run several half day CV building sessions.

“I’m always so impressed by the energy and ambition of the people I meet at Drive Forward. Volunteering there draws on different skills that I might not always get to use at the office and I always leave feeling like I have made a positive difference, even if it’s just in a very small way.”

DRIVE FORWARD

We’re here to make a difference in the lives of young care leavers. Wherever they’re coming from, we’re on a mission to help open doors and give them the skills, confidence and inspiration to make some momentum and realise their full potential.